SPORT ROUND-UP
Gary nets a classy goal for Athlone
Sligo town’s Gary Armstrong scored a stunning first-half goal for Athlone Town last Friday night as the midlands club defeated SSE Airtricity League First Division champions Cork City 3-2 at Athlone Town Stadium. Attacking midfielder Armstrong, the former Sligo Rovers and Carbury FC player, netted with a fine strike in the 19th minute – this goal revived the hosts who trailed 2-0 after 16 minutes.
Second from bottom Athlone scored twice in the last 20 minutes to record their seventh win in 31 games.
They complete their season tomorrow, Friday, with an away fixture against Waterford FC, who are second in the standings.
Shamrock Gaels are celebrating 50 years
Shamrock Gaels GAA Club are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a special dinner dance at the Clayton Hotel this coming Saturday, October 22. This funtion’s special guest is Kerry GAA legend Pat Spillane, who retired earlier this year as a pundit on The Sunday Game on RTÉ. Pat’s wife, Rosarii, is native of Sligo and their son, Pat, played for the Sligo senior Gaelic football team this year.
At this weekend’s gala function, medals will be presented to the Shamrock Gaels panel that won the Sligo LGFA Junior Championship title in 2020 – that presentation was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Shamrock Gaels squad that won the recent Sligo U-19 ‘B’ Football Championship will also be handed their medals on the night, with the
Connacht LGFA Senior Club Championship quarter-final (Bunninadden Community Park, 1pm).
Both of these fixtures will be livestreamed – go to www. connachtladiesgaelic.com for details.
Meanwhile, the Sligo LGFA Adult League Division One final replay – the rematch of Tourlestrane and Eastern Harps – is scheduled for this coming Sunday, October 23 (Curry GAA Club pitch, 3.45pm). The game has to be decided on the day.
Eastern Harps earned a second chance when forcing a draw after extra-time when the sides met in the final in August. Roisin Molloy scored 1-1 late on in the second period of extra-time.
G4M&O blitz takes place in Cloonacool
Sligo LGFA held a successful G4M&O (Gaelic4Mothers&Others) blitz at Cloonacool Community
Park on Saturday last.
There were three teams involved, representing Curry, Shamrock Gaels and Enniscrone-Kilglass. This was the first such blitz since pre-Covid days. Previous G4M&O events took place at Markievicz Park (2017-19).
Scanlon plays in Silver Medal decider
Tubbercurry Golf Club’s Betty Scanlon was placed third in the national final of the Golf Ireland Women’s Silver Medal competition which took place at Meath’s Headfort Golf Club earlier this month (Wednesday, October 5). Scanlon’s total was 73. Another Sligo golfer, Marie Rooney (County Sligo Golf Club) was 46th with a score of 84. Brigid Glynn (Strandhill Golf Club) was 64th overall – her score was 89.
In the Bronze Medal competition, held on the same day and at the same venue, Breege Walshe (Tubbercurry Golf Club) was 35th with a score of 84.
Keelan takes second place in a Dublin gig
Dromore West’s Keelan Kilrehill was second in the senior men’s race at last Sunday’s Autumn Open International Cross-Country Festival at Dublin’s Sport Ireland Campus. Kilrehill, a member of Moy Valley AC, posted a time of 22:24 for the 7,500 metres course, with his training partner, Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC), finishing eight seconds faster for first place. Dean Casey, Ennis Track AC, was third (22:31).
In the masters women (over50) race, Mari Johnston of Sligo AC was placed fourth – her time for 6,000 metres was 24:27. Eamon Murphy of North Sligo AC was third in the masters men over-55 category. He clocked 27:00 on the 7,500 metres course.
This event was held in association with Fingal County Council.
Lillie named in ROI U-17 panel for qualifiers
Sligo Rovers Academy player Alice Lillie, a defender with the club’s U-17 women’s team, has been named in the Republic of Ireland women’s U-17 squad for upcoming qualifiers (phase one) for next summer’s UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championships in Estonia.
The Republic of Ireland play three Group Three games in Belfast, Northern Ireland – tomorrow, Friday, they face Austria (2pm), with Finland to play next Monday, October 24 (12 noon). They face the group hosts, Northern Ireland, on Thursday next, October 27 (2pm).
All games take place at Seaview, the north Belfast home of Crusaders FC, an NIFL Premiership club. Republic of Ireland head coach James Scott has selected 20 players for these games.
Locals picked on IRFU talent programme
Ambrose Bamber and Diarmuid O’Connell, both of Sligo RFC and Sligo Grammar School, are among the 85 players selected on the IRFU’s National Talent Squad (NTS) programme, supported by Pwc, for the 2022-23 season. The beneficial NTS programme has been in existence since 2016 and, according to the IRFU, the programme’s purpose is to “identify, develop
RUGBY TEENS: The Sligo RFC Girls U-18 squad for last Sunday’s Connacht Rugby Girls U-18 League Division Two home fixture against Creggs.
and support players [ages 16-21] who have the potential, ability and drive to play professional rugby within Ireland”.
O’Hara’s Mohill lose in Leitrim SFC decider
The Eamonn O’Hara-managed Mohill were beaten by St Mary’s Kiltoghert in the Leitrim GAA Senior Football Championship final at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, on Sunday last.
Mohill lost by four points, 1-11 to 1-7, despite an interval lead of five points, 1-5 to 0-3. Leitrim star Keith Beirne kicked 0-5 for Mohill. Player of the Match Paul Keaney was the top scorer for St Mary’s Kiltoghert, scoring six points.
Rugby teens are beaten by Creggs
Sligo RFC’s Girls U-18s lost 34-17 away to Creggs in last Sunday’s Connacht Rugby Girls U-18 League Division Two fixture. Sligo’s three tries came from Ellen Hunter, Alanna Connolly and Maeve Donlon. This was the first game of the season for this group who competed well. Sligo RFC also field a team in Division One of this provincial competition.
Mixed results for Academy teams
Five teams from the Sligo Rovers Academy were in action last weekend. The U-19 men’s took on Bohemians but fell to a 5-0 defeat against the Dublin outfit. The U-17 men’s also conceded five goals, losing 5-1 to Galway United. Callum Lynch scored for the Bit O’Red. The Boys U-15 team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Klub Kildare. Emmanuelle Oyewusi scored a consolation goal for Rovers.
The U-19 women’s team lost
1-0 away to Bohs in a Shield semi-final. The U-17 women’s team hosted Cork City in the EA SPORTS Women’s U-17 National League of Ireland semi-final but lost 2-0 to the visitors.
Meanwhile, ATU Sligo’s senior women’s team got their WSCAI (Women’s Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland) campaign off to a flying start on Monday evening of this week as they beat Queen’s University Belfast 7-1 away.
There was a brace each from Sligo Rovers senior women’s first team players Emma Doherty and Lauren McLellan, while ex-Bit O’Red midfielder Erin Coyle also found the back of the net twice. Shaznay Doyle completed the scoring.
Contests at U-21 level for GAA clubs
Sligo GAA’s U-21 Football Championships begin this weekend. Competing in the
‘A’ grade are Ballymote-Bunninadden, Eastern Harps, St Molaise Gaels, Shamrock Gaels, St Mary’s and Drumcliffe-Rosses Point.
The ‘B’ competition will feature the following: Geevagh-St Michael’s, Tourlestrane, Owenmore Gaels, Curry, Coolera-Strandhill, Tubbercurry-Cloonacool, Coolaney-Mullinabreena, Castleconnor, Calry-St Joseph’s and Easkey-St Farnan’s. There are knockout games in each competition, with the finals scheduled for next month.
Good results for Sligo rowers at two events
Members of Sligo Rowing Club have enjoyed good results at recent events held in Tullamore and Portadown. At the Tullamore Time Trial, Brian Colsh – who competed at last month’s World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic – won the men’s senior single scull – his time was 8:16 – and Katie McEnroe was
first in the women’s senior single scull, clocking 9:52.
Claire Walsh won the women’s J13 category with a time of 10:28. Emma Walsh – Claire’s sister – was runner-up in the women’s J14 section. Emma’s time was 10:35.
At the Portadown Head of the River time trial event, Glenn Patterson and Katie McEnroe won the senior mixed double sculls event – they completed the 16k course in a time of 1:06:46.
Meanwhile, Sligo Rowing Club will hold its Sligo Head of the River event on February 18 of next year and the Spring Regatta (an 800-metre threelane event) on April 15.
Sligo’s surf success at inter-counties
Sligo won Irish Surfing’s Inter-counties Surfing Championships last weekend. Young surfers Tom Murphy, Oscar Choo, Darragh Gilmartin and Lorcan Southcombe led Sligo to victory in the senior section over holders Waterford in last
Sunday’s final at Bundoran. In the decider, the top three places were held by Sligo surfers – Tom Murphy (first), Lorcan Southcombe (second) and Darragh Gilmartin (third). The initial rounds of the inter-counties event were held at Rossnowlagh on Saturday. Teams representing Sligo, Donegal, Tyrone, Derry and Waterford progressed to the following’s day showdown at Bundoran. The Sligo senior team members were on international duty earlier this year for Ireland at Eurosurf Junior in Portugal (at U-16 and U-18 level). Among the Waterford stars was Tom Breen, who recently represented Ireland at the ISA World Surfing Games in California. One of Breen’s Irish team-mates at Huntington Beach was Calry’s Gearoid McDaid.
Sligo also won last weekend’s junior section – the winning team comprised of Daniel McSharry, Pauric McSharry, Rory Murphy and Nicholas Howley. The eight Sligo surfers that won team titles for the county last weekend are members of Donegal Bay Boardriders Surf Club.
SURF CREW: The Sligo team that won the senior section of last weekend’s Irish Surfing Inter-counties Surfing Championships in Donegal. Pictured are Oscar Choo, Tom Murphy, Lorcan Southcombe and Darragh Gilmartin.